Cotton picker head



Nov., 2s, 1940. L STUKENBORG 2,222,637

COTTON PI CKER HEAD Filed March 30, i959 5 Sheets-Sheet l Nav., Z, w40. L. c. STUKENBORG 272229537 COTTON PICKER HEAD Filed March so, 1939 s sheets-sheet 2 I y Y fl/MQ Nov. 26, i9. L. c. STUKENBORG 2,222,637

COTTON PICKER HEAD Filed March 30, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet Patented Nov. 26, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COTTON PICKER HEAD Louis C. Stukenborg, Memphis, Tenn.

Application March 30, 1939, Serial No. 264,898

12 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in that class of cotton pickers which employ a manually directable head for removing the cotton from the boll, and which transfer the'cotton so removed by air current to a storage receptacle.

It particularly relates to that well-known type of such devices which employ cooperating circular brushes disposed adjacent the open front end g of the head and rotated to engage and draw in the ber, and which employ a tube leading from the rear of the brushes to a receptacle, and in which a current of air is established which transfers the line, removed from the bolls by the brushes, through the tube to the receptacle.

Many attempts have been made to employ devices of this type with more or less success. These devices, however, have largely failed because of excessive friction of the brush driving mechanism, requiring excessive power and resulting in excessive wear of the mechanism and such frequent replacement because of such wear as to render the devices practically and economically unsuccessful. These troubles have been greatly accentuated by the tendency of the lint to stray around the ends of the flanges of the brushes and to wrap about the brush shafts and impede and nally choke up and stop the rotation of theb-rushes.

They have further been extremely troublesome in that portions of the bolls, and at times entire bolls, have been drawn in and have clogged up the brushes, or passing the brushes, have clogged up the air passageway leading therefrom.

In an endeavor to improve the brush driving mechanism elaborate and expensive bearings have been employed for the brush shafts; expensive gearing and elaborate oiling or greasing systems therefor have been introduced, and gear speed reduction mechanism has been introduced to increase the power. Friction drives have been employed in an endeavor to get away from gear wear; elaborate expedients have also been resorted to to prevent the lint from wrapping around the bearings and various types of screens or grilles have been used to prevent undesired foreign matter from reaching the brushes.

The objects of the present invention are:

To improve and simplify the brush driving mechanism.

To secure cooperative movement and action of the brushes without the interposition of frictional or other mechanisms rotationally coordinating the movement of the brushes.

To provide means for preventing lint from straying into the bearings; and

To provide means for retarding, or preventing,

access of undesired foreign matter to the brushes while permitting the lint to pass thereto.

- The means by which the foregoing and other objects are accomplished and the method of their accomplishment will readily be understood from the following specification on reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the head.

Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation taken on the line II--II of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a sectional end elevation taken on the line III-III of Fig. 2. v

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation showing a modification taken as on the line IV-IV of Fig. ,1.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the machine showing the manner in which the driving mechanisms are correlated and the head and suction hose are supported.

Referring now to the drawings in which the various parts are indicated by numerals:

Wheels I0 and II support a frame work'which may include vertical posts I2, horizontal members I3 and horizontal members I4, the frame members I2, I3 and I4 being in spaced pairsl and being connected by transverse members which need not here be shown.

This frame work supports a motor I5, preferably an internal combustion engine which drives a fan I6 as through a belt I'I. The fan discharges through a'pipe I8 into a separator 20 from which the lint drops into a receptacle 22. From the fan I6 a suction pipe, preferably 'a flexible rubber hose 25, leads to a picker head 26.

The motor I5 also drives an electric generator 30 from which a exible cable 3| enclosing circuit wires leads, this cable being continued by Iiexible cables 32, 33 enclosing circuit wires to a pair of highspeed motors 34, 35 of identical size, speed and other characteristics, the motors at present used having a speed of about 5000 R.. P. M. The usual control switches and fuses are employed, though not shown.

The head 26 is a hollow casing here designated by the number 26, in which casing are mounted a pair of brushes 5I, these brushes each comprising a cylindrical body portion mounted on and secured to turn with a shaft 52, as by squaring the central portion of such shaft, the brushes having bristles extending radially outward from the body portion and preferably arranged in the usual manner of such brushes in groups or tufts 53. At the opposite ends of each brush are cylindrical flanges 54-A, SII-B which turn with the shaft and other portions of the brush. Each shaft 52 extends oppositely beyond the flanges and is mounted in bearings 55 and 56, which preferably are ball bearings. The bearing 56 is preferably mounted in a removable cover member 51 forming one end Wall of the casing member which is held in place as by cap screws 58, the bearing 56 being held in place in such cover member by a plate 59 retained as by cap screws 60. Oppositely the shaft 52 passes through the bearing 55 which is carried by theopposite end wallof the casing. Preferably, `after passing through the bearing 55, the shaft is reduced in diameter at 52-A, and the outer part of this r.e.

duced extension is halved to form at 52`-B, part of a bayonet coupling.

sleeve may be held in place by frictional en-` gagement with the extension. The sleeve and any portion of the shaft 52 extending beyond ,the

bearing 55 are loosely enclosed in an externally threaded coupling member 62 in which they are free to turn without friction.

The shafts of the motors 34 and 35 are respectively coupled to the shafts 52 of the two brushes by flexible shafts 63, 64 of usual type, 65, 66 respectively. Each flexible shaft, as the shaft 63, has a bayonet part V53- A complementary to the bayonet part 52-B, and with lits tube covering is held in place as by a sleeve nut 61.

The front or mouth 10 of the casing 26 is open and the brushes 5| are journalled in the casing adjacent this open mouth.' Disposed immediately forward of the brushes are sets of guard ngers 1| which fingers extend from the'opposite `sides of the mouth and partly thereacross and well past the brush centers, leavingv however between their terminal ends an opening through which not only the lint of the cotton, but locks of the cotton may pass. These ngers curve backward from the mouth of the casing toward the brushes and at their terminal ends approach closely, though preferably they do not touch, the ends of the tufts of bristles 53. Positioned substantially centrally between the brushes are a pair of Vfmgers` 12, which fingers respectively extend from the opposite ends of the casing, partially across the casing mouth, the terminal ends'of these ngers being spaced apart, and `these fingers curving backward from the mouth of the casing toward their ends. There is thus established by the two sets of fingers a grille work which converges the lint toward a central opening through which the lint may readily pass, but which is particularly adapted to engage and check the passage of the hull portion of the bolls and permit the brushes to disengage and withdraw the lint from such hulls and the hulls themselves to be released and drop away from the casing. Preferably the fingers 12 are secured as by set screws 13 so that they may be adjusted close together or further apart. i

Rearward of the brushes the casing in its preferred form makes a right-angle turnV through an elbow portion 15 .and terminates in a cylindrical section 16, which is adapted to extend inside of and be secured to the end of -the flexible suction hose 25. The axis of the section 16 is substanA tially parallel to the axes4 of the brushes 5| so that the flexible shafts and their enclosing tubes 65, 66 may lie along the hose and a minimum 0f operating interference be eiTected. 11 is a reentrant portion of the casing forming a bridge extending across the casing substantiallyparallel with the axis of curvature of the elbow 15,' this bridge being'here shown of heavy section,though 6| is a sleeve enclosing the reduced extension and bayonet, and whichit may be formed by folding the walls inward or otherwise as may seen most convenient. This bridge acts to divert air and lint toward the center of the elbow section 15 and counteracts the endency of the air to flow along the inner wall of the elbow and to divert lint leaving the brushes along the end iianges 54-A of the brushes. This is further illustrated in the modied form of casing shown in Fig. 4 in which the tubular end 16S-A of the casing extends rearward substantially at right angles to the plane containing the brush axes. In such form the end walls 80 of the casing rearward of the brushes are converged rapidly to a restricted throat 8| and thence diverge and round out into the tubular end 16-A,

the effect of the convergence being to draw the lint axially as well as radially away from the anges 5ft-A, 5ft-B, and to minimize chance of stray lint wrapping between the anges and end walls,

'Ihebrushes 5| are so spaced apart, as will be seen in' Fig. 3, that the bristles 53 of one brush fully clear the bristles of the other brush; and additionally no other part of .either of the brushes, has contact, either driving or otherwise with the other brush or any part thereof. Likewise theseb-rushes are so spaced relatively to the side walls 25-A of the casing, that air spaces 26-B are left between the ends of the bristles and these walls.

'It will be understood that in the brief description of the machine which carries the head, only one head` and operating mechanism has been mentioned, but that in usual practice such machine carries at least two heads and operating mechanisms therefor, al1 of which however are served by a single motor I5 and generator 30.

It'will further be understood that while it is considered preferable to have the motors 34 and 35 somewhat remote from the head and connectedithereto by flexible shafts, that these motors may be mounted directly on the head or closely adjacent thereto and connected by direct rigid drives.

Also it will be understood that the bayonet type coupling described is illustrative only and that no particular detail of brush construction is germane.

It will be further understood that it is not my intention to limit myself to any details of construction except as such may be specically recited in each claim.

In operation the machine is moved into the cotton field in proximity to plants from the bolls of which cotton is to be removed. The motor l5 is started, driving the fan I6 and generator 30, the fan I6 vexhausting air from the hose 25 and setting up a flow of air through the head 26 and from this head through the hose and the fan to the separator 20; and the generator 30 furnishing current to drive the motors 34 and 35 and through the shafts 63, 64 to d-rive the brushes 5| 'at motor speed. The motors are so wound as to turn in opposite directions and are coupled to the brushes to drive them in the directions shown by the arrows A and B, Fig. 3.

The head 26 is directed by hand successively into contact with the bolls from which cotton is to be removed, only such bolls obviously being selected as are open and ready for picking. The bristles 53 of the brushes 5| revolving at a high rate of speed engage the lint or ber and withdraw the cotton from the boll, the locks of cotton including one or more seed with the" lint wrapped therearound and adhering thereto usufil ally remove re-adily from the boll and are drawn by the brushes against the ngers 'H and 'I2 forming the guardinggrille work in front of the brushes. The locks are carried along the fingers il against the fingers' 12 and thence along the fingers 'l2 and released into the head, the brushes carrying the cotton through and the high rotational speed of the brushes throwing the cotton `so passing into the air stream by which it is carried through the hose to the fan thence to the separator and into the container. In this action air ilowing between the side walls of the casing and the brushes is apparently of material assistance in preventing loose lint from being carried around by the brushes and in thereby causing all the cotton removed to be delivered into the air stream. As the air stream leads away from the brushes the centrifugal movement of the brushes, and other'movernents, tend to centralize and cause this current to move straight away from the brushes in one plane, but the pull of the air current in a plane at right angles to the axes of the brushes, is more or less blocked at the ends of the brushes and eddy currents are then set up, this interference being minimized and relieved by the throat construction shown in Fig. 4. In the preferred construction, Fig. 2, due to the elbow construction, the current flow is definitely away from the brush heads 54h-B. but there is an added tendency to set up an eddy current which would allow stray lint to work into the space between the head Eid-A and the contiguous end wall of the casing. This tendency however is counteracted by the bridge l1 which concentrates the air ilow elfecting a restricted throat and causing the air current to pull substantially equally away from both heads and is thus ecacious in preventing the undesired intrusion of lint between the heads and the casing wall with the result that stoppages from this cause have been substantially entirely eliminated.

In the action of the brushes 'also it has been found necessary in order that eddy currents be not set up by the brushes and otherwise to secure more eicient results that the brushes be rotated as far as possible at the same speed, and this has previously been done by gearing or by friction drive, in the former of which cases stoppage of one brush definitely stopped both brushes, and in the latter of which-cases, wear usually rapidly resulted in only one brush being driven and the other being an impotent helper only.

In the present instance both brushes are driven at Substantially the same rates of speed by independent means, and even though one motor may have a slightly higher speed than the other, the equalizing effect of material being drawn between the brushes results in substantially equal speeds and such difference as may otherwise exist is relatively so small as to have little unbalancing effect on the air currents. In addition to this the independent drive of the two brushes permits one of the brushes at substantially all times to continue in operation even though the other be temporarily slowed down or even stopped, and this operation of the single brush tends to free, and in most cases does free, the choked brush and allows re-establishing of the action of both brushes.

When attempt is thus made to draw the cotton from the boll, unfortunately the whole hull or parts thereof are often drawn against the mouth of the head and if allowed to get in between the brushes may stop them, or if they pass through they are carried into the receptacle which is not to be desired. In the present instance cotton with the hull or portion thereof attached is engaged first by the fingers positioned in one direction and thence by the transversely disposed fingers with the result that in most cases the portions of hull are sufliciently delayed to permit the cotton to be withdrawn from them and such hull portions drop down and arenot carried into the head.

I claim:

1. In a cotton picker head including a casing having an open front, anda pair of parallel brushes journalled adjacent said front, guard 15 means comprising sets of fingers extending from opposite sides of said casing tangentially toward and in front of said brushes, but closely adjacent thereto, said fingers extending beyond the centers of said brushes, curving inward and terminating to leave an opening longitudinally parallel to the axes of said brushes, and a second set of fingers extending from the opposite end walls of said casing longitudinally along said opening, the end portions of said latter fingers curving inward and being spaced apart.

2. In a cotton picker head including a casing having an open front and a pair of brushes journalled on parallel axes adjacent said front, guard means comprising opposed sets of lingers extending from opposite sides of said casing tangentially toward and forward of said brushes, said fingers curving inward toward said brushes, extending beyond the axes thereof, and terminating to leave an opening longitudinally parallel to said axes, and a pair of fingers each extending from an opposite end wall of said casing longitudinally along said opening, thev end portions of said latter fingers curving inward and being spaced apart.

3. In a cotton picker head including a casing having an open `mouth and a pair of parallel brushes journalled on parallel axes adjacent said mouth, guard means comprising opposed sets of ngers extending from opposite sides of said casing tangentially` toward and forward of said brushes, but closely adjacent thereto, and terminating to leave an opening longitudinally parallel to the axes of said brushes, and lingers extending respectively from the opposite end walls of -said casing longitudinally alo-ng said opening, the end portions of said latter fingers being spaced apart.

4. In a cotton picker, a hollow head having a pair of brushes journalled therein in spaced cooperative adjacency on substantially parallel axes, and means for independently driving each of said brushes to provide normally complementary co-action between said brushes and supplemental action of either said brush on the other thereof in case of retardation or stoppage of said other brush.

5. In a cotton picker, a hollow head having a pair of brushes journalled therein in spaced cooperative adjacency on substantially parallel axes, and a pair of high speed electric motors having substantially identical speed and other characteristics, respectively coupled to said brushes to drive same independently in cooperative directions whereby to provide normally complementary co-action between said brushes and supplemental action of either said brush on the other thereof in case of retardation or stoppage of said other brush.

6. In a cotton picker, a hollow head open at the front, a pair of brushes journalled in said head adjacent said iront, said brushes having substantially parallel axes and being mounted in spaced adjacency for independent free rotation and under load for cooperative action through said load, and means for driving said brushes independently at substantially equal rates of speed in co-acting directions to provide normally, under load, complementary inter-action therebetween, and clearing action of either said brush on the other thereof in case of speed lag of such other brush.

'7. In a cotton picker, a hollow head open at the front, a pair of independent brushes journalled in lsaid head adjacent said front, said brushes having substantially parallel axes and being mounted in adjacency for cooperative action under load, through said load, and means for independently driving each of said brushes in co-acting directions to provide normally, under load, complementary inter-action therebetween, and clearing action of either said brush on the other thereof in case of stoppage of such other.

. 8. In a cotton picker, a hollow head open at the front, a pair of contiguous brushes journalled in said head adjacent said front for independent rotation, said brushes being spaced to cooperate under load, through said loa-d, and a pair of oppositely rotatable high speed motors, having substantially identical speeds, coupled respectively each to a said brush for driving said brushes independently in co-acting directions, whereby to provide under load normally complementary interaction between said brushes and clearing action of either said brush on the other in case of speed lag of such other.

9. In a cotton picker, a hollow head open at the front, a pair of substantially parallel brushes journalled in the opposite end walls of said head, means for driving said brushes, a discharge flue leading rearwardly from said brushes, and means for establishing an exhaust flow of air from said brushes through said flue; said flue having diametrically opposite side wall portions converging sharply inward at the rear of said brushes from immediate adjacency to the ends of said brushes to establish a restricted throat section at right angles to the axes of said brushes to induce in said air flow components directed axially away from said brush ends, and minimize eddy currents adjacent said brush ends, said side wall portions diverging from said throat section to reestablish ue section.

10. In a cotton picker, a hollow head open at the front, a pair of substantially parallel brushes journalled in the opposite end walls of said head, means for driving said brushes, a discharge flue leading rearwardly from said brushes, the wall portions of said ilue forming a continuation of the walls of said head, and means for establishing an exhaust flow of air from said brushes through said ue; opposite of said ue wall portions converging abruptly irom said end walls to establish, immediately rearward of said brushes, a flattened throat sharply restricted parallel to the axes of said brushes, said flue wall portions diverging to reestablish ilue cross section.

11. In a cotton picker, a hollow head open at the front, a pair of substantially parallel brushes journalled in the opposite end walls of said head, means for driving said brushes; an elbow shaped discharge flue leading rearwardly from said brushes and into substantially parallelism with the axes of said brushes, and means for establishing an exhaust flow of air from said brushes through said ue; the radially inner wall of said elbow, having a re-entrant portion converging sharply inward toward the center of said elbow, to establish a restricted throat section at right angles to the axes of said brushes, whereby to sharply divert air flow axially away from the brush ends contiguous to the inner side of said elbow, and minimize eddy currents adjacent said brush ends, said converged wall diverging from said throat to reestablish iiue cross section.

12. In a cotton picker, a hollow head open at the front, a pair of substantially parallel brushes journalled in the opposite end walls of said head, means for driving said brushes, a discharge ue leading rearwardly from said brushes and bent as an elbow into substantial parallelism with the axes of said brushes, and means for establishing an exhaust flow of air from said brushes through said flue; the end Wall of said head adjacent the inner side of said elbow, and rearward of the contiguous ends 'of said brushes, being continued as a portion of said iiue wall and being sharply converged toward the center of said elbow to establish a throat in said elbow, in rearward adjacency to said brushes, whereby to create a component of said air flow axially away from said brush ends minimizing eddy currents at such ends, said converged wall portion diverging rearwardly to reestablish ue cross section.

LOUIS C. STUKENBORG. 

